Prosecutors Accelerate Investigation Ahead of Treason Special Prosecutor... Kim Yong-hyun Arrested

Prosecutors and police are accelerating their investigation into the 'December 3 Martial Law Incident.' On the 10th, ahead of the National Assembly's plenary session vote on the treason special prosecutor bill, prosecutors urgently arrested Kim Yong-hyun, a key figure and former Minister of National Defense. Regardless of the handling of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol, the investigation into treason charges is expected to proceed rapidly.

Prosecutors Urgently Arrest Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun... "Concerns of Evidence Destruction"

The Special Investigation Headquarters (SIH) of the prosecution summoned Kim Yong-hyun, the former Minister of National Defense, for questioning and arrested him urgently six hours later on the morning of the 8th. The investigation is accelerating as the first subject of the SIH is a key figure in the incident.

This urgent arrest was made due to concerns about evidence destruction, such as the deletion of a Telegram account. The SIH seized Kim's mobile phone and began forensic work. They plan to request an arrest warrant within 48 hours of the arrest. A prosecution official explained, "We make an urgent arrest to secure custody if illegality is revealed during the investigation or if there is a possibility of extreme choices."

Kim, a senior of President Yoon from Chungam High School, is identified as the person who suggested and effectively led the declaration of martial law to the president. The SIH is focusing on investigating the process of declaring and lifting martial law, and the entry of armed martial law troops into the National Assembly and the Election Commission.

Prosecutors Conduct Joint Investigation with Military Prosecutors... "Considering Forced Investigation of Presidential Office and Ministry of Defense"

The SIH, led by Chief Park Se-hyun, continued the investigation with 20 prosecutors and about 30 investigators at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, even giving up their weekend. The military prosecution also dispatched 12 personnel, including 5 military prosecutors and 7 investigators.

The organization has been detailed. Under the command of Chief Park, Kim Jong-woo, the second deputy chief of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (deputy chief prosecutor level), Lee Chan-kyu, head of the Public Investigation Division 1, Choi Soon-ho, head of the Criminal Division 3, and Choi Jae-soon, head of the Crime Information Division 2 at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (deputy chief prosecutor level) are positioned. Once the office is set up at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office on the 9th, a full-scale investigation is expected to begin.

The SIH has also imposed travel bans on 10 active-duty military personnel, including Army Chief of Staff Park An-soo, National Defense Intelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung, Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo, and Army Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun. They are also considering forced investigations against the Presidential Office and the Ministry of Defense.

Police Also Accelerate Investigation... "Analyzing Communication and Radio Records of Police Chiefs and Command"

The police have formed a dedicated investigation team of about 120 members and are speeding up the investigation under the command of Song Young-ho, Director of National Investigation Headquarters Security Investigation (Superintendent). The National Investigation Headquarters has voluntarily submitted and is analyzing the mobile phones of four individuals: Police Chief Cho Ji-ho, Seoul Police Chief Kim Bong-sik, National Assembly Security Chief Mok Hyun-tae, and Gyeonggi Southern Police Chief Kim Jun-young.

They have also secured radio records of field police officers. They are identifying where the order to control access to the National Assembly originated, how it was transmitted, and what the specific instructions were. The National Investigation Headquarters announced that "the dedicated investigation team for the martial law-related complaint case has begun a search and seizure of the official residence of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and the office of the Minister of National Defense."

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials has also assigned the case to the 4th Investigation Division (headed by Cha Jung-hyun) and is conducting legal reviews.

Plenary Session Vote on Special Prosecutor Bill on the 10th... "Prosecutors and Police Investigation Data Likely to be Transferred"

Meanwhile, on the 10th, the National Assembly's plenary session will vote on the treason special prosecutor bill, which includes 11 investigation targets. If this special prosecutor bill, which the president cannot veto, passes, all investigation data from the prosecution, police, and the Corruption Investigation Office will be transferred to the special prosecutor. After the special prosecutor's conclusion, each agency can continue their investigations.

The special prosecutor will be composed by the 'Special Prosecutor Candidate Recommendation Committee,' but with the amendment of the special prosecutor regulations, the ruling People Power Party, affiliated with the president, is excluded from the recommendation. The recommendation committee consists of three ex officio members (Vice Minister of Justice, Deputy Chief of the Court Administration Office, and President of the Korean Bar Association) and four members recommended by negotiation groups. The investigation will proceed for 60 days following a 20-day preparation period, with a possible extension of 30 days.

Lee Kyu-chul, a representative lawyer from DaeRyukAju and a former member of the special prosecutor team for former President Park Geun-hye, said, "The core of this special prosecutor is to reveal why martial law was declared."

Reporter Huh Ran why@hankyung.com